Chapter Thirty-Six
The six members of the Team USA singles skaters were gathered with our coaches standing just beyond the big two-level step
and repeat area for the press conference in the media center. There was Mel, along with Kayla and Erica and their coaches,
as well as the three men’s singles skaters, Sam, Declan, and Jae, along with their coaches. I could tell it was going to be
a clusterfuck since it was the first presser with all of us gathered. The room was packed and buzzing with noise. I peeked
out to see if Ben was in the crowd of reporters but couldn’t find him in the sea of faces.
“Okay, are we ready to go?” a smiley woman in a blazer and headset asked us, pushing her hands through the air like she was
trying to sweep us toward the stage. She’d introduced herself to us but I’d already forgotten who she was. “It’s time, let’s
get settled in our chairs. Ladies, the three of you are on the first level, and gentlemen, you’re behind them.”
Normally I’d be fighting off a twist of tension in my gut at the thought of being faced with a room full of reporters, but the combination of having the team with me plus all the recent interviews I’d done with Ben had fortified me.
I felt like I could handle anything they’d throw at me.
My version of my story was out there, thanks to him.
Erica grabbed my arm and looked up at me with her eyes wide before we walked out. “It’s a full house.”
I smiled at her. “You’ve got this, don’t worry.”
The blazer woman moved in front of the chairs as we settled in and the room quieted. “Welcome everyone! We’re so excited to
have our Team USA singles figure skaters here today for the first official press conference of the Milano Cortina Olympic
Games!”
The energy in the room shifted as everyone broke into applause.
“Tina Weng from USA Today, you’re up,” she said and pointed to a woman seated at the front of the crowd.
“Thank you. This question is for Declan. You’ve been coming really close to hitting that unicorn, the quadruple axel. How
confident are you feeling about your chances here in Milan?”
The three of us in front turned around to watch him answer, because we wanted to know as well. I could see his media training
bleeding through as he answered, because the old Declan would’ve been brash. This polished-up Olympic version was humble and
hopeful.
And long-winded. I used the time to scan the crowd, hoping to find Ben among them, smiling back at me. I recognized a few
of the reporters from their on-air coverage but couldn’t find him. Then I spotted a familiar high blond ponytail. Kim the
producer was here, which probably meant that Ben was nearby. I squinted and scanned and came up empty.
“Next question,” Blazer Lady said. She pointed at a guy with gray scruff and a stack of notebooks on his lap. “Jim, go ahead.”
“Thanks. Jim Kellogg from CNN. My question is for our two youngest skaters here today. Kayla, Erica, how does it feel to be
in Milan?”
The softballiest question ever, and one we were all well prepared for.
Kayla leaned forward to speak into the mic in front of her. “I’ll start.”
I wanted to high-five her, because she usually liked to stay quiet. Her answer was lovely, so much so that all Erica could
do was basically repeat the same stuff about being honored and hoping to make her country proud.
“Okay, who’s next?” Blazer Lady said as hands shot into the air. “Kim, you’re up.”
I swallowed hard when her eyes landed on me.
“Thanks. Kim Overton from The Score, and my question is for Quinn.”
Of course it was. Like I hadn’t just fed their show every detail of my life. Well, not every detail. I faked a smile for her.
“There must be so much pressure on you after what happened at the last Olympics.”
My stomach dropped and my palms instantly went sweaty. This bullshit. I thought we were past it by now.
I nodded and got ready for my spin-filled reply, but she wasn’t done.
“It was such a shocking disappointment for Team USA, so I’m wondering—I think we’re all wondering—if you’re worried about a repeat performance this time around.”
Deep breaths.
“I wasn’t until you brought it up,” I said and continued to smile at her, but there was just enough venom in my voice to make
my feelings about the question known. A few people chuckled.
She met my smile with her own overly toothy grin that didn’t reach her eyes, then shifted to a faux-concerned expression.
“The world saw you broken the last time around. And then your retirement announcement was both shocking and not. So what was it that got you back out there? Do you have something to prove to your old coaching team, or is it more than that?”
Well, damn.
Kim Overton was playing all the old hits, from my disastrous performances to the beef with Carol and my mom. It struck me
that if Ben hadn’t been running point for me during our week together it probably would’ve included lots more of this type
of questioning.
I’d assumed he was going to blow up my life, but he’d actually kept me glued together.
I straightened my back, arranged my face into my haughtiest ice queen expression, and locked on to Kim.
“My goal as an athlete is to always look forward. It’s too easy to get caught up in who we were at the last competition, not who we’re training to become in the present. And I’ve worked hard to be this version of me.
I feel really happy skating these programs. I’m back at my second Olympics because I deserve to be here.” I didn’t normally
brag but I wasn’t going to let her get away with trying to knock me off balance to get a good sound bite. “I’m sure you’ve
seen how hard I worked to earn my place on Team USA. If not, I can text you the YouTube clips from my performances at Worlds.”
I winked at her and everyone laughed, because the clips had been impossible to avoid.
“Thank you.” Kim looked down at her phone like I was boring her.
“Who else?” Blazer Lady looked around the room and pointed at a man standing along the back wall. “Yes?”
“Hi, Randall Thorpe from The Telegraph. We’ve briefly touched on age but I wanted to go a little deeper.”
Easy now, Randall.
“Tara Lipinski was our youngest Team USA competitor at just fifteen. Kayla, you just turned sixteen, and we’ve got Quinn on
the opposite end of the age spectrum competing as our oldest skater at twenty-four. Our oldest ever, I believe. Quinn, are
you feeling that eight-year age gap?”
Suddenly, I understood how Ben felt when people joked about his age. Nothing worse than people hinting that you’re past your
prime. I knew this question would come so I already had a reply cued up.
“She’s our big sister,” Kayla insisted before I could say anything.
I laughed. “First of all, I want to point out that the honor of most senior competitor goes to Mariah Bell, who was twenty-five
when she skated at the Olympics. And to answer your question, I actually feel amazing despite my advanced age.” I said it
with verbal air quotes. “I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, and I attribute that to the way Mel and I work together. I’m very
lucky to have a coach like her. She understands that positivity lifts you up and carries onto the ice.” I wanted to say more
but there was no need to even hint at the troubles from my past.
He nodded at me and wrote something down.
“Lee, you’re up,” Blazer Lady said.
“Lee June-hyoung, The Korea Times, this question is for Jae. Your family emigrated from South Korea. How challenging is it facing down premier South Korean
skaters like Ha-Joon and Jin?”
Ah, international rivalries with a local angle would definitely shift the vibe away from me. I took the opportunity to study
the room as he answered.
Why wasn’t Ben with Kim? And where the hell were Neil and Hailey? In the rush I’d forgotten to ask Ben about them. There was a good chance the three of them were in one of the other locations where skiing or snowboarding would be taking place.
But still . . . it felt odd that they wouldn’t send him to cover this press event given how well the show was doing. Mel had
told me that it was still showing up in the top-picks listing on the channel, even though it had been out for a while now.
Things were starting to kick into overdrive for both of us. We were preparing to do the opening ceremony Parade of Nations
walk-through the following day, followed by a Team USA welcome dinner hosted by Vox Telecom in Milan.
Then?
Showtime.